Special Ed Students Skew Test Results

[Khephra]

EAGLE POINT, Ore. -- The kids in Michelle Harper's special education class have their own small victories every day -- a temper tantrum stifled, two words rhymed.

When it comes time to take the standardized tests that the federal government uses to measure public schools, many of Harper's students at White Mountain Middle School merely pick answers at random, not realizing the potentially severe consequences for their school.

Across the country this year, thousands of schools were deemed "failing" because of the test performance of special ed students.

The results have provoked feelings of fury, helplessness and amusement in teachers like Harper, who say that because of some of their students' disabilities, there is no realistic way to ever meet the expectations of a new federal law backed by the Bush administration that requires that 99 percent of all children be performing at or above grade level by 2014.

more...............

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-special-ed-testing,0,4936423.story?coll=sns-ap-nation-headlines

[qanda]

1. LNCB is the worst thing to ever happen to public schools!

eom

[MadAsHell]

5. It is quite frankly designed to be the end of ...

public schools. When the provisions and requirements in the law all come into force there will not be a "passing" school anywhere in the country.

[screembloodymurder]

17. You are 100% correct.

The program was designed to privatize our schools.

[Muddleoftheroad]

28. Mainstreaming is just as bad or worse

Severely handicapped or disabled children should not be in ordinary classrooms.

[Debi]

29. I hope you're not insinuating

That specail needs children do not belong in 'general' society?!

Being disabled should not mean being locked up in a little room because the 'normal' people don't want to deal with you.

How absolutley cruel.

[DoYouEverWonder]

2. If these kids are ESE

then their scores should have been excluded from the results. At least that's how it's done in Florida. If this is the first year for testing, then expect to see big increases in students classified as ESE in the next few years.

That is how Jeb has managed to show such big increases in scores. Since testing began about 5 years ago, more and more children, especially those from lower SES homes are being classified as 'exceptional students'so that the 'bad' students don't bring down the schools scores. Of course the educational standards for an ESE student are much lower than for the mainstream students. As a result, 1000's of students will be graduating with ESE diplomas. Try getting into Yale with one of those? These are the kids that will be tomorrow's cannon fodder. It's just another way that Bu$hCo wages class warfare on the lower classes.

[salin]

4. NCLB requires testing...

and, I believe, requires that special needs students improve (scores increase) at the same exact pace/speed rate as all other students. The legislation requires that the schools scores are disaggregated by various variables (not a bad thing to study for any organization) - including race, second language learner status, and special education. A high target of growth/improvement over the previous year must be met in EACH category or the whole school is deemed a failure and has to face various financial consequences.

[DoYouEverWonder]

8. Maybe that is one of the reasons

why Florida failed to meet the NCLB standards, despite the fact that in Jeb's system, all of our schools have seen vast improvements. According to Jeb's system, Florida has very few failing schools. Yeah, right.

[salin]

10. I hadn't heard that the state failed to meet the standards

would love a link.

Would suggest that the way the state was implementing the program didn't meet fed regulations. Does this mean that the entire state is ineligible for title funds?

[DoYouEverWonder]

11. Here's one about Florida's dismal results

Miami Herald

Each subgroup has to demonstrate ''adequate yearly progress'' for a school to pass muster.

This differs markedly from Florida's FCAT system, which grades a school based on year-to-year progress of the student body.

NCLB requires a percentage of each subgroup in a particular school to reach a certain standard. And it ain't happening. Not in Florida. Some 88 percent of the state's schools failed to have every subgroup pumped up to the federal standard.

The results can seem bizarre. In Brevard County, Holland Elementary, which claimed to have the highest FCAT scores in the state, somehow failed to meet the federal NCLB standard.

Florida's dismal results are its own doing. States set their own standards for what amounts to ''progress'' on achievement tests. Florida and a few other states set very high standards. And now we've become the antithesis of Lake Wobegon, where all the kids are above average. Eighty-eight percent of our kids, or at least their schools, are substandard. (While the students in Arkansas are apparently near genius.)

[salin]

12. Thanks

that goes into the print up to read more carefully pile :D

[Whoa_Nelly]

3. Special Ed and standardized testing

Special Ed students' scores are entered into a category called, "Other Testing", and not counted as representative of a school's overall testing result grade, unless the Special Ed student is mainstreamed into the regular classroom for the particular subject area of testing. Also, the tests that some of them take are limited in either time allowed, whether certain tests will be read aloud to them, which tests will be given, and/or how much of the any one test will be given as written into their IEP (Individual Education Program). This can vary somewhat from state to state, but the IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) federal mandates allow for a Special Ed student's IEP to reflect abiltiy to be given standarized testing and is always addressed and included in written form as part of the IEP. Some students do not take any of the tests at all.

This article is skewed and a lame excuse for laying blame on the overall national results of public school standardized testing.

[salin]

6. In Indiana,

I believe, that unless schools opt out of NCLB (and federal title dollars), there are no more exemptions for testing in special education. There is a small amount of flexibility on the actual testing (eg more time - under certain circumstances, and there may be a second test that can be used for some students). This is a huge departure from practice where in the past there was more ability to adjust testing to needs (for example tied to the IEP), and there was more ability to have some students not be tested.

[jmm]

9. It also works like that in MA and NY.

Only two types of accommodations can be made- standard (changes in conditions under which the test is taken such as administering tests in short periods with frequent breaks) or non-standard (modifications in how the test is presented such as the use of a calculator). However no accommodations can alter or simplify test items.

[Debi]

15. Special ed is now fully integrated into the testing process

Angel o peace - sorry but...

My son is 'special ed' and had to take the 'standadized' test as all students had to. You are correct that 'opting out' was the way things used to be, but now with NCLB ALL students are tested equally.

The only people who don't have to test are the severly disabled/retarded and then only the students who are incapable of putting 'pencil to paper'.

Any modifications to the testing process are automatically considered a 'fail' for the school - and if the special ed student doesn't score above the 40th percentile it's a 'fail' for the school.

NCLB will push schools that fully include children with special needs to 'gently prod' the parents of these children to place them in institutions for individuals with more severe disabilities.

[Whoa_Nelly]

16. As someone with a degree regarding this topic

The reauthorization has mandated to more fully include Special Ed students in standardized testing. However, limits can be placed within the IEP, and Some Special Ed students are placed in a separate category. The most unfortunate thing about the 2003 reauthorization is a push to reduce paperwork, to limit the possibilities of some students getting any assistance, and to make the decision to limit or provide funding to individual schools based on the Special Ed scores included in the final numbers. However, if you felt it was incorrect to have your child subjected to standardized testing for whatever reasons, you can request a revision to the IEP at any time, and have limits placed such as, will be tested in a separate room (should you and/or the team think he will be affcted/embarrassed/feel humiliated by having to be in a mainstream classroom with his peers and his ability levels set him apart from the class while testing), or request that only certain tests be given and where, and find out which ones can be read to him, which ones that if read to him can allow the instructions and/or total reading be repeated if he has a reading disability, use of a calculator for certain Math tests if his testing scores and type of Special Ed services being provided warrant the use of a calculator, request time limits, and more. Never take the word of the IEP team or case manager at face value. If you have concerns about the standardized testing, request through the district a Special Ed advocate to review the IEP and to help you help your son by making changes in the IEP. The district is required to provide an advocate should you request one.

By the way, just in case you didn't know, you can request a complete copy of your son's IEP at any time. If you should want to do that, first request to be able to sit down and just look through it before asking for a copy as any and all information, notes, papers that have been placed in it must remain in it from that point on, with the exception of older testing protocals. However, the district must keep a complete file at all times. You also have the right to a complete copy of your child's regular school files at any time. This holds true for all public school children, Special Ed or not, as guaranteed by FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act).

[Debi]

19. Degree? try living it

I appreciate that you have a Degree in this topic - however for 15 years I have lived special education...I have a complete copy of all my child's IEPs througout his scholastic career because we almost had to sue the AEA with regard to recommendations on his 3-year review. You have cited some simple accomidations however unless my son cannot put 'pencil to paper' he does have to take a standardized test and no simple accomidations are going to help a 68 I.Q. perform at a 100 I.Q. level...period. The safety net that was in place in the past no longer exists...ALL children will be tested EQUALY even if they are not equal in their mental capacity. And, no, placing a request to not take a standardized test in his IEP will not work..we tried that.

[Whoa_Nelly]

20. I have lived it

and written hundreds of IEPs, as well as fighting for the parent and child rights more often than for the school system for 28 years.

I understand your frustrations regarding standardized testing. Without knowing your particular and personal situation, I was hoping to offer something helpful. Here's hoping you continue to speak up. :toast:

Sometimes due process can make a difference...good luck if you ever choose to go that route :-)

[roguevalley]

21. My 26 years of experience mirror debi's and others who tell you that there

are no exemptions for special ed kids in testing. There
can be some modifications, depends on the test. Our exit
exams do not allow modifications. Therefore, these kids
get to go in, fail and hear about it afterwards.

Because of the inclusion of special ed kids into mainstream
classrooms, overall scores for all subjects and grades have
fallen. No one is taking these kids and teaching them in
special settings with expertise for their deficits. They are
just turned into the regular ed classroom and let to float.
I had to FIGHT like a banshee to just get them pulled for
their subjects during the day rather than sit in my room and
fail with the rest of the class.

No one is teaching these children to help them improve.
They are dumping them and we are left to bear the burden.
Kids are failing because of it and potential is not being
achieved.

Mainstreaming is a failure. I understand wanting to protect
their affective domain but in real terms of making it in the
world, I am more interested in their 'effective' domain.

There are no exemptions for our kids in testing and as a
consequence we are tanking all over the place.

[cmd]

22. I echo your post

I have 30+ years of classroom experience dealing with regular and mainstreamed students. There are no longer any exemptions for disabled students. Modifications, yes, but not exemptions. LNCB is a farce.

[Debi]

24. Let's not take it out on the kids

coalminers...I hope I'm not hearing a chours of people who believe special needs kids belong back in the 'special ed' rooms and not in the societal settings of the classroom.

I feel for the teachers that are sent special needs students with no assistance in place (i.e. para-educator/companion) but I just can't accept that these kids don't belong in the classroom.

It's a slippery slope to go down if we start keeping people out of certain activities because of their different abilities.

[roguevalley]

27. Here is what I had for my second-to-the-last-year of teaching:

1 kid who was taken out of his last class in handcuffs: emotionally
handicapped-explosive, defiantly non-compliant.

5 learning disabled, ranging from mild to severe

1 autistic, operational level when you could get her attention: first grade. (We were sixth)

1 brain trauma, emotionally handicapped, learning disabled

1 severely retarded, FAS, Abused, emotionally disturbed, learning ability? none

2 quest - extremely high functioning in math and reading.

3 low average

8 normal IQ, no learning problems of note

Aides: none

Special services: all over the ying yang, pull out insisted upon after much yelling and screaming by me because the schedule of having another big body plodding around trying to 'help' kids do work that was so out of their league was detrimental for the eight kids that could function. That is the thing. They stand around like heifers trying to help kids do work that is three to five grade levels above their functional level, as if it MEANS something to the poor struggling kid. All it means, in my 26 years of experience, is that they get to sit and know in a real way how 'dumb' they are. So much for the affective domain.

Small pullout groups: it didn't do them much good because it was so chopped time wise that they could hardly get anything done. If they had been self-contained, they would have had low groups and expert attention to deficits all day long but no. Their affective domain is somehow more important so they stay with me, fail most of what I taught inspite of turning myself inside out to make the opposite happen and they failed on the exams.

Surprise? none

Despair? Lots to go around.

Was/is my class normal? Sure. Don't kid yourself. It is.

I am more interested in living in reality, where kids go to where they can get the help they need. If you want to make 'special ed
rooms' a place of hatred and loathing, then they will become that. If you make them a place to learn and eventually leave, then they will be just another tool in getting to where all kids should get: the best potential they can achieve with their lives. What we have now makes sure they don't, but they feel damned good about themselves at the end anyway. Is it real? No. Does it hurt them and America? Sure.

Are we all nuts? Yes.

Are teachers leaving in droves over it? Yes.

Can you blame them? No. Walk a mile. No ivory towers. If you haven't done 26-36 kids in the trenches for two decades, you don't know what its become. I feel despair for my profession and all the good little kids.

RV, a teacher who finally threw in the towel.

[Debi]

23. Inclusion can be a success

IMHO inclusion is successful if the appropriate accomodations are put in place (para-educators - modified classwork - small group activities) having students of all abilities in a classroom mirrors today's society.

Having said that I do agree that placing a student with special needs in a general classroom setting and hoping they 'swim' rather than 'sink' dooms the child and the class.

How we can have successful integration of specail needs individuals in scholatic settings and then ingnore their special needs when it comes to testing amazes me.

I think there are other, less masochistic, ways of having accountability for the school system.

[madrchsod]

7. this has happened

to the school our friend works at. the district moved all the "dumb and bad" kids to her school. so every other school is passing but hers...

[durutti]

13. Special Ed. & Class

It seems that Special Ed. is often abused as a means to segregate the poor kids.

[Whoa_Nelly]

14. To receive Special Ed assistance

the student has to meet certain criteria that's pretty rigorous--academic testing, psychoeducational testing, and sometimes Speech and Language testing, health issues, behavioral indexes, and more. The results of any of those tests has to be below the average norm, such as the IQ norm of 85-115.

What can be noticed quite frequently is that there does appear to be more Special Ed students in lower SES than the mainstream student population. Frequently, Special Ed students have factors of environmental, prenatal, natal, emotional and/or physical abuse, and the list goes on...all types of factors that can affect learning, developmental growth, physical growth and health that are often associated with children from low SES backgrounds/homes.

[cmd]

18. It's Rumplestiltskin politics

Just like all the other bad fairy tales this misadministration has brought us, public school teachers are now required to spin straw into gold. Adding the disabled kids to the testing results means that all schools will eventually fail. Some will fail sooner than others, but in the end; all will fail. And no one lived happily ever after.

[Crowdance]

25. The backlash: Districts "starving" children's services

In our state, NY, students qualify as special ed if their test scores are inconsistent. So, in my profoundly dyslexic son's case, his IQ scores are significantly higher than his achievement test scores. The gap indicates a learning disability, qualifying the district to collect $20k a year on his behalf. Spending that 20k is another matter, however. We find ourselves fighting for every service he requires. This year, services have been cut way back. I suspect they're hoping we'll get disgusted and send our child to a school that specializes in dyslexia. They apparently haven't considered the force of this mother's love, and my willingness to engage an attorney.

This will be the school districts' strategies: slowly remove services until we withdraw our troublesome children from their care. Unless we wish to see these magnificent children consigned to the dustbin, we must fight back.

[The Animator]

26. Many times I have wished to be a kid again...

...this is not one of those times. For a change, I am actually grateful that I am grown, and no longer enrolled in the public schools.

I do not have a degree in education, nor am I the parent of a learning disabled student... I was a learning disabled student. I took classes at the regular level for most of my academic career. I was diagnosed late, in junior highschool. In most subjects I actually qualified for honors classes. All but one, Mathematics. It bore me down like brick on the back of a bird. As a result, all I could manage was a tired jog, when I could have flown. With difficulty, I made it through though, with the help of patient and determined parents. I'm a computer animator now, but I know that might not have happened had the schools I'd gone to given me hurdles instead of the leaniency, my mind required.

The school system I remember was far from perfect. Looking back there were many things that could have been done differently to make the journey easier. For one thing, the schools I'd been to seemed ill prepared to deal with a student like me. I was learning disabled in math, but I had been in regular level math classes until my sophmore year of high school. I was studying Geometry by the time I was placed in an SLD class, where they were going over the fine points of multiplication and long division. I remember thinking "Youv'e gotta be fricken kidding me!" They weren't. So effectively, the mathematical portion of my education was over as far as public school was concerned.

The problem is the general misconception that all learning disabled students plateu at a certain level. This is as absurd as it is unfair. Many Learning Disabled Students simply learn differently than regular students. They have indiviual strengths and weaknesses. In many cases it just boils down to the differences between audio, visual, audio-visual, active, and passive learning. Some students can learn effectivley by reading a text book, some by reading it aloud others have to be told, others shown, and still others learn by doing. They are teaching techniques that have been designed to accomodate those needs, and the results of those techniques can be profound.

When children start a new year in an LD class they could be given a placement / aptitude test, to find out what they know and how they learn. Each child's lesson plan can be taylor made to fits their individual learning needs. The class can be divided to groups according to how they learn, and taught in that manner by a teacher who specializes in that kind of teaching. That, in my opinion, is the best way to make sure no child is left behind.

Don't focus on the preformance of the school, or even the preformance of a class... focus on the preformance of the students. Currently, the state gives a standard test, and demands that all schools meet their quota. This in turn forces every teachers to teach every student exactly the same way... poorly. If state government is so concerned about the quality of education its children receive, they should take a long hard look at each student, find out what they need to suceed and they make sure they get it.

Mark Twain once said "I never let school interfere with my education."
In this case it's the state that has interfered with the schools which in turn have been forced to interfere with the education of it's students.

There should be more questions than answers, less fact and more truth, less lecturing and more guiding, less politics and more wisdom.




To those patient DU readers who actually made it all the way to the end of this rambaling diatribe, I apologize. I didn't intend for this to be an essay, it turned out that way. :)